Lath-fastener.



C. COLLINS.

LATH PASTBNBR.

. APPLICATION IILBD 111113.19. 1913.

Patented July 28, 1914.

INVENTOR Zweefz'zaslz'ng CORNELIUS COLLINS, 0F BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA.

LATH-FASTENER.

mcafee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application flled March 19, i913. Serial No. 755,337.

To all whom it may' concern Be it known that I, CORNELIUS COLLINS. acitizen of the United States, residing at Burlingame, in the county ofSan Mateo and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Lath-Fasteners, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to lathing, and particularly to an improvedfastener for metallic lath.

My'observations of the present practice in securing metal lath tostudding, and particularly'to metal studding, have led me to devise andprovide a simple, practical fastener, economical of material, of cost,of manufacture, and of application, and which lath fastener is providedfor the object of securing a smoother surface on the exterior of thelat-h for the application of plaster, and which contemplates variousimportant features all productive of a more satisfactory lath structurethan the present methods in vogue of fastening metal lath to metal orother studding by wiring.

Divers means have been provided for fastening metal lath to metalstudding,-most of which consist of outwardly projected prongs, wiringdevices, etc., which are objectionable for the reason that they producein the fastened lath protuberances of varying lengths which must becovered with the plaster, and therefore require plaster to be applied toa whole surface equal in depth to the amount of projection of thehighest protuberances from the plane of the wire lath; and one of theparticular objects of my invention is to provide a lath fastening devicein which a minimum degree of projection of protuberan'ces can behad,thus enabling the application of a plastic layer of -minimum thickness.Further, my improved fastener contemplates the provision of a structureenabling the lather to more readily make joints of the lath whennecessary, and to produce better corner joints. With the object in viewof saving labor in lathing operations, my improved fastener is of suchconstruction that an unskilled laborer can apply and fasten the lath aseiiciently, rapidly and perfectly as a more skilled laborer such as isnow re' quired for the diflicult and arduous task of wiring the lath orbending fastening prongs, such as are used in some types of fasteners.

The invention consists of the provision of a relatively rigid, stifffemale part coperable with a fastening element'of a bendable extensibletype adapted to be registered with the complementary part and expandedor extended thereby when pressure or power is applied to thebendablepart.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved fastener, shown assecuring a fragment of metal lath. Fig. 2 is an elevational View of therigid memberin partial section, showing the expanded complementary malepart. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a type of an eXpansible part ofthe fastener.

In the present embodiment the invention is shown as consisting of rigidsupports, to which a lath, particularly a metal lath 2 is t0 be applied,the rigid or supporting part here comprising a metal studding which maybe of any desired transverse section. a channel iron 3 being hererepresented. The stud- Vding 3 -to which the lath is to be applied isprovided at divers points in its sides, faces .or flanges, as at 4, withdownwardly and oppositely bent prongs 5 5, depressed sufficiently belowthe inner surface of the flange or body of the metal 4 to form a pocket6 through which will be automatically expanded or spread thecomplementary prongs 7 7 of the male part of the fastener. which partconsists of a body portion 8, preferably of hipped cross section asA-shaped, with the parts 7 7 diverging from opposite sides of the bodyportion, and which parts are so spaced in manufacture as toapproximately equal the apertures or pockets 6 6 in the wall or flange 4of the fixed part 3 or studding.

In operation the male part of the fasten ing device is moved intoposition so that its prongs 7 7 approximately register with theapertures 6 6, after the sheet of lath Q has been laid upon the side ofthe studding members 3 3, then by pressure as from blows of suiicientforce the ex ansible part 8 of the fastener is driven so t at itsextensible or eXpansible prongs 7 7 enter the apertures or pockets 6 6,and the prongs 7 preferably being of less rigid material than thematerial of which the studding 3 is made, will be diverged by theinclined prongs or. shoulders 5, which substantially act as dies` uponthe bendable, eX ansible prongs 7 7 of the male part of the astener, theseparation and spreading of the prongs being obtained by the applicationof suficient blows on the body portion 8 of the vdistances betweencoordinate male part 'of the fastener to separate the prongs so theyWill be thoroughly interlocked in the apertures 6 6, and vthen the bodyportion 8 vat its part contiguous to the studding 3 can be hammered downuntil it assumes a position close to the surface of the studding towhich it is applied, and thus firmly holds the strands or parts of themetal lath 2 against the studding.

For the purpose of throwing the prongs 7 7 of the male part of thefastening device to their maximum spreading position, the material ofthe liange, wall, or other surface of the studding betweentheapertures--G thereof may be de ressed as at 9 to form a shallowpocket, Fig. 2, .toward which the body portion 8 of the exterior part ofthe Y fastener can be hammered, not only eect-ing the maximum spreadingof the locking prongs 7 7, but also providing for the de pression byhammering of the body portion 8, so as to reduce the rotuberances orprojection of the latter a ovethe plane of the pocket to' a minimum.

In Fig. 1 the expansible part of the fastening device- 8 isshownas-having its body p0rtio'n' of' considerable length the edges of whichare oppositely provided at suitable points with locking prongs 7 7, thusthe member 8 provides a horizontal or transverse brace between-themembers 3 3, to which the lathing may be applied. However, in Fig. 3 Ihave shown the male or expansible part of the fastener as of relativelyshort width, so that these may be applied at divers points on the lathto fasten the same toy the studding without extending from one' part 3to another.

It is understood that while I have referred to the members 3 3 asstuddings, they are applicable as urring, ceiling members, or rein-forcemembers, or in any of the other ways forwhich metal lath may be used,and must be fastened to a suitable the lath is to applied, may beprovided with the oppositely inclined pockets 6 6 at suitable intervals,and at any part of its area as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLet-ters Patent is:

1. A fastener for metal lathing, comprising a support having a pair ofoppositely inclined and adjacent tongues struck inwardly and away fromthe lathing to be supported, and an open member A-shaped in lcrosssection with bendable prongsat the opposite margins thereof insertibleand separable by theltongues and adapted to interlock with the openingsformed by the striking out of the tongues when pressure is applied tothe apex of said A-shaped member.

2. A lath supporting member having a depressed pocket, the' ends ofwhich are severed from the contiguous stock to form apertures, and abendable metallic'fastener y bent centrally and provided with divergentpoints on o posite margins in the plane of` its length or embracing themesh of the lath, and whichy points spread and enter said apertures whenpressure is applied at the apexpf said fastener.`

' 3. A lath support-ing'member consisting of a metallic studdin having adepressed pocket, the bottom o which is below the outer face of thestudding, the ends of the l pocket being severed from the contiguousstock to form apertures, and a bendable hipped metallic fastener havingmarginal divergent points on opposite margins for straddling the strandsof said metallic lath, and which points spread and enter said aperturewhen pressure is ap lied at the bended hipped port-ion of the astener,said hipped portion of the fastener when spread being 'received intosaid pocket and lying substantially in the plane of thestudding.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setl my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Wltnesses. .f

' Witnesses: W'. W. HEALEY,

' BEN HARRISON.

CORNELIUS COLLINS. l

